Or Perhaps in Slytherin
by Kel6
Summary: Sirius and James have decided they’re friends. And they’re not going to let anything change that. Especially not Sirius’ family. Sirius just ignores them, which is easy enough, right? Third in the Nothing Is Impossible series.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Or perhaps in Slytherin, where you'll make your real friends  
  
Summary: Sirius and James have decided they're friends. And they're not going to let anything change that. Especially not Sirius' family. Sirius just ignores them, which is easy enough, right? Third in the Nothing Is Impossible Series.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Disclaimer: The characters belong to JKR. I don't pretend to be making any money out of this.  
  
Author's Notes: The third in the series, so it would make much more sense if you read the first two first. This one's set in their fourth year.  
  
~*~  
  
'Seen your Muggle-loving friend recently?'  
  
Sirius picked up his Potions book and began flicking through the pages.  
  
'Did you read the paper the other day? Another Mudblood's been killed. At least they're good for something.'  
  
Page seventeen: an introduction to antidotes.  
  
'Did you see that thing in Hogsmeade the other week? Oh wait, I forgot, you're not allowed to go down to Hogsmeade, because your parents don't give a shit about you.'  
  
He picked up his parchment and began to write, ignoring Bellatrix. He was safe, for a while: none of her back up was there. Snape, Regulus, the Lestranges and various others who he didn't know were still at dinner. None of them would attack when the odds were even (although she was older than him) as Sirius was quite a good dueller, with excellent reflexes.  
  
He appeared calm, but he was still angry, no matter how used to the insults he was.  
  
Bellatrix threw down her trump card: 'You know your friends aren't going to last, don't you? A few years time and they'll all be gone. Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers will be the first to go. Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew will follow all those other idiots who deserved to die as much as they do.'  
  
Sirius looked up at Bellatrix, incredulous in his anger. How could someone as young as her believe that innocent people deserved to die?  
  
'Shut up,' he said, quietly. 'Just shut up, OK? If you can talk like that then you're the one who deserves to die.'  
  
'Hyporite, if *you* can talk like that, *you're* the one who deserves to die. But Potter certainly does, his whole family, too, what with all the crap they come out with about Mudbloods being are equals.'  
  
Sirius pushing his homework aside and rose, slowly. Bellatrix showed a slight sign of nervousness: Sirius was almost a head taller than her, but she quickly regained her confidence, seeing something behind Sirius. Sirius guessed it was someone who would rush to her aid.  
  
'You weren't thinking of fighting me, were you, Sirius?' she asked, in a sugar-sweet voice. 'You surely don't imagine you could ever beat me in a duel.'  
  
'If I knew as many spells as you I could easily beat you,' he said, in an offhand manner. 'But since you are older than me, you would have an unfair advantage, I think.'  
  
He would have duelled her, of course, had he not known there were someone waiting to come to her aid. Instead, he picked up his books and headed up to his dormitory, as quickly as he could without appearing to rush. His instinct was to push her over, or hit her, but that would only result in being hexed from behind.  
  
He sat on his bed, pulled the curtains around him, and sealed them with a simple spell. All his life he'd relied on running and hiding from people, so much so that he knew many charms and spells to keep them away.  
  
He pulled out his books again and got on with finishing his essay.  
  
*  
  
James was bored. He honestly had nothing against Remus and Peter. They just lacked the ability to make work interesting. Well, everyone he knew lacked that ability, except Sirius. It was just so amusing to watch him do his work, as he clumsily dropped things everywhere, and then pulled faces at James when he laughed. He also tended to talk to his essays, as though sheer willpower would finish them so he wouldn't have to.  
  
The only annoying thing was, in Sirius' opinion, entering the library (unless he was sneaking in to the restricted section) was a heresy, so, whenever James was bullied into going there by Remus and Peter, Sirius disappeared somewhere.  
  
He screwed up bits of parchment and started flicking them at a table with a group of girls on it. Three of them just ignored him, brushing the bits of parchment away and giving each other bored glances. The fourth kept looking up irritably, but James always looked away in time.  
  
She was interesting looking, her green eyes really stood out, and her long red hair gave the impression that it had been tidy at the beginning of the day. She was in his class, but he'd never bothered to speak to her before. Her name was Lily Evans, he vaguely remembered.  
  
He flicked another bit of parchment, this one showered glitter all over her work, where it landed. She looked up and glared again, but James was innocently reading a book, watching her out of only the corner of his eye.  
  
'James.?' asked Remus, quietly.  
  
'Uh huh.'  
  
'You know you're being an annoying git, don't you?'  
  
'Absolutely.'  
  
'You could do something a little more mature.' James gave him a look, and he rolled his eyes, then turned back to his work.  
  
He vaguely considered going up and saying hello, but then Remus and Peter (and Sirius, when he was told) would never let him live it down. He flicked more paper, instead.  
  
'Do you really have to?' she demanded, in an annoyed way.  
  
'Not really, but it's something to do.'  
  
'Why don't you just get on with your work or something?'  
  
'Done it.'  
  
'Then leave, for God's sake, and stop being a twit!' Madam Pince, the librarian, shot her a look, and she looked away and got on with her work.  
  
James smirked, the day really wasn't complete until you'd annoyed someone.  
  
'Potter!' snapped a voice, from the door. 'Was it you who turned the floor outside my classroom to ice? Anyone who walks past is slipping up!'  
  
'Professor!' he sat up a bit more. It was McGonagall. 'I don't think I'd quite be capable of doing that, do you? You'll have to teach me, actually.' He and Sirius had done it, with a little help from Remus and Peter. 'But.' he began. 'If the floor's turned to ice, won't it melt soon?'  
  
Professor McGonagall suddenly realised that several some people were going to get very wet, and she turned and ran out the library. James laughed and turned back to Remus and Peter.  
  
'Who do you think got soaked? I hope it was Snivelly!'  
  
'She knows it's you, you do realise that?' said Remus.  
  
'Of course, who else would do it?' 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Or perhaps in Slytherin, where you'll make your real friends  
  
Summary: Sirius and James have decided they're friends. And they're not going to let anything change that. Especially not Sirius' family. Sirius just ignores them, which is easy enough, right? Third in the Nothing Is Impossible Series.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Disclaimer: The characters belong to JKR. I don't pretend to be making any money out of this.  
  
Author's Notes: The third in the series, so it would make much more sense if you read the first two first. This one's set in their fourth year.  
  
~*~  
  
Something was definitely wrong. Sirius would have had to be blind, deaf and dumb not to notice it. With the exception of the odd insult, Regulus and the others had been leaving him alone. He could talk to James and the others and they wouldn't try and curse him afterwards.  
  
They were watching him, too. It wasn't obvious, but Sirius noticed, all the same. They were definitely planning something. And they were making him exceptionally paranoid.  
  
He kept all of his things locked in his trunk, and he put spells on his bed every night. He was tempted to walk around using a shield charm, but decided that that definitely wouldn't go unnoticed, as everything else he did was.  
  
He also decided detentions would keep him away from the Slytherin common room and set about getting as many as possible, aided by James.  
  
'So how long do you think it is before Flitwick notices the Shrinking Spell?' wondered James, aloud. A rather complicated collection of charms meant that Professor Flitwick was gradually shrinking, and would continue to do so until someone actually noticed and removed it.  
  
'I dread to think, but if anyone notices, it'll be McGonagall. And she'll know it's us.'  
  
'A least you won't get the Oh-you-used-to-be-such-a-good-boy,-James! lecture.'  
  
'Well it's your own stupid fault for being a suck up.' James poked his tongue out.  
  
'Perhaps, tomorrow,' he began, loudly, 'we can turn all the Gryffindor girls into Orang-Utans, *some* of them have certainly got the right hair and looks, we'll hardly need to change anything.'  
  
'Mature, Potter,' snapped the girl at whom his remark was directed. Sirius didn't know her, and had no intention of ever getting to know her. Apparently James had other ideas.  
  
'I know, wasn't it?' he said, pulling a stupid face. Sirius snorted  
  
'See, even your stupid little friend thinks you're an idiot.'  
  
'I resent that,' said Sirius. 'I am not little! Stupid: often, and friend: yes. But definitely not little.'  
  
'You have a sick mind,' she told him.  
  
'What's so sick about being tall?' said Sirius, innocently.  
  
'Come on, Evans, be nice,' said James, and the girl rolled her eyes and turned away. James watched the back of her head for a few more seconds, before turning away, his hand going to his hair, messing it up.  
  
'Found yourself a girlfriend, have you?' asked Sirius, with a smirk.  
  
'What about that conversation made you think she would go out with me?' James wanted to know. 'She'll come around.' Sirius laughed.  
  
'You just keep telling yourself that, James.'  
  
*  
  
Sirius decided that, at the first opportunity, he would give up History of Magic. He was doing one of the ridiculously long essays that were assigned to them, and getting through more and more Chocolate Frogs by the minute. The thing was, although Professor Binns didn't seem to mark what they wrote, he still required them to have done a certain amount. Sirius was actually writing revision notes for Transfiguration, entitled: The After- Effects of the Goblin Rebellions. Binns would never notice.  
  
He was in the common room, and it was gone midnight. He'd just completely forgotten about that particular essay, and the fact that it was due in the next morning.  
  
He worked his way steadily through the box of Chocolate Frogs, getting melted chocolate on his homework, but he really didn't care. The ink was completely smudged, too, rubbed all over the side of his left hand as he wrote.  
  
He finished the frogs before his essay, but couldn't be bothered to get any more. After he finished the essay he flung it aside.  
  
He was beginning to feel rather sick, which was odd, because he'd managed two and a half boxes of frogs before he threw up once. He made to stand up, but suddenly a figure appeared. He peered at it, through the semi-darkness. But it wasn't that dark, was it? Or that blurry.  
  
'Snivelly?' he said, finally, then glanced around. There were a fair few others, but he couldn't make out who they were. What was wrong with his eyesight? Everything was blurred! He started to feel slightly panicky. Sure, he'd had some nasty stuff done to him before, but they'd never done anything like this.  
  
'Black!' snapped Severus. Sirius blinked rapidly, and looked back at him.  
  
'Whu-?' he muttered.  
  
'Can you hear me!?'  
  
'Maybe,' he muttered. His head was spinning, he could hardly see and everything sounded like and echo. And he was going to throw up.  
  
'What on earth's gone wrong, Severus!?' demanded another voice. Sirius couldn't tell who it was.  
  
'I have no idea! The Potion was right!'  
  
Some vague notion of sense entered Sirius' head. 'Potion? What Potion?' he asked, as forcefully as he could without throwing up.  
  
'We need to get him to Pomfrey!'  
  
'And get us in trouble?'  
  
'We'll be in even more trouble if it kills him or something!'  
  
'Rodolphus, Rabastan, can you two.?' Sirius was pulled upwards by two people who were, presumably the Lestrange brothers. 'Severus, you stay here, try and find out what we got wrong. Regulus and I will go to the Hospital Wing.'  
  
Sirius was half pulled, and half staggered along various corridors and up stairs until they reached the Hospital Wing. Large shapes kept swimming around him, and he felt like he was being spun around, upside-down.  
  
He threw up, then, he couldn't help it. The Lestranges let go, and he saw something whom he took to be Madam Pomfrey, who pushed a bowl under his mouth. He kept being sick, tasting the acid, unable to see, or think.  
  
He was helped to a bed, before he suddenly just blacked out completely. 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Or perhaps in Slytherin, where you'll make your real friends  
  
Summary: Sirius and James have decided they're friends. And they're not going to let anything change that. Especially not Sirius' family. Sirius just ignores them, which is easy enough, right? Third in the Nothing Is Impossible Series.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Disclaimer: The characters belong to JKR. I don't pretend to be making any money out of this.  
  
Author's Notes: The third in the series, so it would make much more sense if you read the first two first. This one's set in their fourth year.  
  
~*~  
  
James was sitting under his Invisibility Cloak on the floor of the Hospital Wing. Remus and Peter had refused to skive lessons and had said Sirius would be all right anyway. James didn't care.  
  
The floor was incredibly uncomfortable and Sirius was out cold, but it was better than being in Transfiguration. He didn't doubt that his disappearance had been noticed by McGonagall, but she'd sent no one to find him. He was counting the seconds until she did. That was why he was hidden.  
  
Madam Pomfrey walked in and he pushed himself against the wall, to keep out of her way. She fed Sirius some sort of Potion, and he started to cough, then wake up.  
  
'What? Where?' said Sirius, pulling himself up.  
  
'It's all right, dear, you're in the Hospital Wing.'  
  
Sirius was silent for a moment. 'Oh yeah, I remember,' he muttered finally. 'What was wrong?'  
  
'Do you remember eating anything?'  
  
'A box of Chocolate Frogs,' he said. 'And dinner. But they didn't taste funny or anything. What happened?'  
  
'You've eaten what seems to be a weak Truth Potion.'  
  
'Truth Potion!?' Sirius was incredulous, James couldn't really blame him: they weren't often designed to kill. And who on earth would want to use a Truth Potion on Sirius? What sort of random thing was that?  
  
'Well, I did some tests, and that seems to be it, yes. As far as I can tell you're allergic to Tarantula Blood, which is the key ingredient in all Truth Potions.'  
  
'I am?'  
  
'It has been heard of before, you know. It's just quite rare.'  
  
'Does it mean if I take something like Veritaserum, I'll end up dead, or something.'  
  
'Depending on the dosage, it could seriously harm you,' she said. 'But there is a way to help you. Because it's so rare to be allergic to them, not many people would know this. You have to take certain medicines for a period of time and it should lessen your reaction considerably. They will still make you ill, but you'll be well enough to get away.'  
  
'Does that mean Truth Potions don't work on me?'  
  
'Yes, but it will make you ill. I'm not letting you go just yet, you need a bit of rest. Do you have any idea who could be trying to get you to take them?'  
  
'None at all,' said Sirius. James had the awful feeling that he was lying. He didn't know why, it just sounded like that.  
  
'Well,' said Pomfrey, slowly. 'If you do remember anything, then I suggest you go straight to a teacher, it's a serious offence.' She disappeared out of the enclosed area, probably to her office. Sirius sank back down onto his bed. James got to his feet, as quietly as he could, still under the cloak.  
  
'Oi, Sirius!' he hissed, as Sirius started to look like he was going to sleep.  
  
'Bugger off, invisible demon thing,' was the reply.  
  
'Thanks for that, I skive Transfiguration and risk the curses of McGonagall, only to be called an "invisible demon thing".' Sirius gave a sleepy grin.  
  
'I'm tired,' he muttered.  
  
James sat down on Sirius' bed and pulled the cloak off.  
  
'Don't squash me,' Sirius added, darkly.  
  
'Are you OK then? Who did it?'  
  
'I don't know.'  
  
'Liar.'  
  
Sirius opened an eye and stared at James.  
  
'If I did know, what good would it do me? The person or people might get expelled and I'm sure my mother would be less-than-pleased. You've seen what she's like. Besides, they won't try it again.' James still obviously looked uncomfortable with it. 'Come on, James, how would getting them expelled help me?'  
  
'I suppose it wouldn't,' muttered James, in reluctant agreement. 'Are you all right now?'  
  
'Yes, of course I am, don't be daft. Why wouldn't I be?'  
  
'Er. Sirius, we found out you were ill last night, and we came along and you looked awful.'  
  
'Thanks for the ego-boost. I know who to blame all my self-confidence problems on, don't I?' James poked him.  
  
'You know what I mean. I was rather worried, actually.'  
  
'I feel so loved,' was the sarcastic reply.  
  
'You don't make it easy for people to be nice to you, you know that?' Sirius grinned.  
  
'Why would I want to do that?'  
  
'Annoying person.'  
  
'It's an art.' James poked him again.  
  
'I'd whack you, but you'd probably pretend you were ill or something,' he said, and Sirius laughed.  
  
Later, when Madam Pomfrey let him free (after making him promise to return the next night, so he could take some potions to help counter his allergy), he headed back to the Slytherin common room to confront Regulus, Snape, Bellatrix and the Lestranges. They were all sitting in a corner of the common room.  
  
'Why did you feed me Truth Potion?' he demanded, quiet enough for no one else to hear.  
  
'So you've returned, I see?' drawled Snape.  
  
'Answer my question, or I'll tell Dumbledore it was you.'  
  
'What proof do you have?' asked Bellatrix, smugly.  
  
'You could always take a Truth Potion to prove it wasn't you,' he replied, just as smugly. Bellatrix's face turned ugly.  
  
'We fed you Truth Potion because it would be incredibly useful to find out *anything* we wanted. Still, no matter, we can always try Potter. I bet he wouldn't die if we did, which is, I'll admit, a great pity.'  
  
'Shut up! You wouldn't dare!'  
  
'Wouldn't we?' she replied, coolly. 'Perhaps if you keep away from him and start acting like a Slytherin, then we might leave him alone. If you don't, well, you'll see. I'm sure we can come up with something.' 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Or perhaps in Slytherin, where you'll make your real friends  
  
Summary: Sirius and James have decided they're friends. And they're not going to let anything change that. Especially not Sirius' family. Sirius just ignores them, which is easy enough, right? Third in the Nothing Is Impossible Series.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Disclaimer: The characters belong to JKR. I don't pretend to be making any money out of this.  
  
Author's Notes: The third in the series, so it would make much more sense if you read the first two first. This one's set in their fourth year.  
  
~*~  
  
Sirius was up a tree, in the Forbidden Forest. It was rather ironic really: the last time he'd hid up there he'd discovered about Remus, which had led to their friendship. Now he was up here to think, and to hide from them.  
  
He wasn't a coward, but he wasn't stupid. He knew there were worse threats in the world than whatever his various family members and their friends could come up with, but it still worried him. If they fed some sort of Truth Potion to Remus (or the other two) they might find out that Remus was a werewolf, or about their half-complete Animagus forms.  
  
Or there were other things that they could do that Sirius didn't even want to think about.  
  
By spending time with them he was basically ensuring that half of Slytherin house hated them even more than they normally would.  
  
He could just imagine what James would say if he told him: 'Don't be daft, Sirius, they're not going to do anything to us. We'll be careful, anyway.' James was still so naive at times. Who could he talk to?  
  
No one. There was no one who could even try to understand. Except . . .  
  
He sat upright, suddenly, almost falling out of his tree. Then he started searching in his pockets. He pulled out two Chocolate Frogs and transfigured them into a sheet of parchment and a Muggle pencil (he'd been introduced to pencils after running away from home at age eight, and living with a Muggle friend for a night, they were never used in the Wizarding World and, in Sirius' opinion, were infinitely superior to the Quill). He then began to write:  
  
Dear Andromeda,  
  
How's everything (work etc)? Found a boyfriend yet? Oh well, I'm sure you'll find one soon.  
  
I've got a couple of problems with school, but you have to promise not to show this letter to anyone! OK? Good.  
  
You know you were in Ravenclaw? Did you ever get any stick from your sisters and everyone for making friends with Muggle-borns and all that lot? The thing is: I've made friends with three Gryffindors and some people in Slytherin are threatening that if I don't start acting like I should, they'll use some sort of potion or something on them.  
  
What on earth can I do about it? I know they will, they've already got me with a Truth Potion (I was allergic, so they didn't get anything).  
  
Sirius  
  
He spent the rest of the day avoiding James and the others, as he wanted to read Andromeda's reply. She was the only person he knew who could have been in a similar situation. In the evening, he got an owl in reply, just after he'd been to the Hospital Wing to take the revolting potions he needed.  
  
Sirius - I'll be in the Three Broomsticks tonight until fairly late if you need to talk. I shouldn't encourage you, but please come down!  
  
It was short, but not entirely discouraging, and he set off for one of the secret passages to Hogsmeade.  
  
He felt strangely obvious as he crept through the corridors. Because his parents had flat out refused to sign the form saying he could go to Hogsmeade, he was well used to sneaking down there, but, usually, he'd borrow James' Invisibility Cloak. He didn't dare ask for it this time: James would want to know where he was going, and why he'd been avoiding him.  
  
Once he got into the passage, he felt much safer, and he lit his wand and headed off to Hogsmeade, hurriedly, anxious to see Andromeda.  
  
Nobody in the Three Broomsticks gave him a second glance, despite the fact that he was in his Hogwarts uniform. He scanned the tables, until he spotted her, waving in the corner. He slipped between the tables and headed over to see her.  
  
'Hey Andr-' He stopped. He stared. He couldn't really help it.  
  
'Hi Sirius,' she said, with a wry smile. 'Sit down and stop staring, it's perfectly natural.'  
  
'You're. you're.'  
  
'Pregnant?' He nodded dumbly. 'Top marks for observation, Sirius.'  
  
'Who.?'  
  
'The father? You won't know him. His name's Ted Tonks,' she held out her hand, with a wedding ring on. Sirius gaped further.  
  
'When did you get.?'  
  
'We married about a year ago. It was a lovely, Muggle, because, obviously, I wanted to keep it from the family, and he's Muggle born. You'll have to meet him sometime.'  
  
'You could have told me,' muttered Sirius darkly. She rolled her eyes.  
  
'I just did. Now, explain to me your problem. And name names, please, don't try and pretend it wasn't Bella or something.'  
  
'All right, all right. As far as I know it was Bellatrix, Reg, Severus Snape and the Lestranges. They were the ones who were there, anyway. Basically, they fed me Truth Potion and nearly killed me, because I'm allergic. But they're threatening to do something similar to James, Remus and Peter if I don't stop spending time with them.'  
  
'Slow down a bit! Who are James, Remus and Peter?'  
  
'Gryffindors: James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.'  
  
'Ah, I recognise the name. You and a Potter? No wonder they're all freaking out. You know perfectly well what our family think of the Potters. And what they think of us. How on earth did you two make friends?'  
  
'It's a long story. But what am I supposed to do? I can't go to a teacher, if they get expelled, mum'll kill me! But I want to stay their friend!'  
  
'You sound like you need a stiff drink. Not that I'm encouraging you in the slightest.'  
  
'You shouldn't be drinking at all, you're pregnant.'  
  
'All right, all right. Look, Sirius, just calm down for a bit. Avoid the Gryffindors for a bit, at least until the fuss has died down. And think like a Slytherin: how can you prevent them from doing what they've threatened? But you are right, I don't think you can risk teacher involvement.'  
  
Sirius nodded. He didn't want to avoid James and the others, they were the only people he felt he could trust. But what else could he do? 


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Or perhaps in Slytherin, where you'll make your real friends  
  
Summary: Sirius and James have decided they're friends. And they're not going to let anything change that. Especially not Sirius' family. Sirius just ignores them, which is easy enough, right? Third in the Nothing Is Impossible Series.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Disclaimer: The characters belong to JKR. I don't pretend to be making any money out of this.  
  
Author's Notes: The third in the series, so it would make much more sense if you read the first two first. This one's set in their fourth year.  
  
~*~  
  
James was sitting by the lake, by himself. He'd shaken off Remus and Peter by saying he'd already done his homework. He'd been looking for Sirius, but he'd given up. His friend seemed to have completely disappeared. It was the weekend, and it was warm enough to be outside, James was beginning to wonder if something had kidnapped his friend: Sirius loved being outdoors, rather than cooped up.  
  
There were several things he could do: his homework, extra Quidditch practice, or go and annoy Lily Evans, but usually he and Sirius spent their free time trying to get detentions.  
  
A couple of first years were at the edge of the lake, lobbing stones across the water. James gave it five minutes before the Giant Squid (affectionately named Stupid, by he and Sirius) appeared and chased them off.  
  
He lay back down and stared at the clouds, thinking. Were he and Sirius really such good friends that it didn't seem right when he suddenly disappeared?  
  
'What the hell? Oh, it's you, Potter.'  
  
James sat up, it was Snape.  
  
'What do you want?' he asked.  
  
'I don't see how it concerns you.' Snape looked, in James' opinion, far too odd outside of the castle.  
  
'Well you're the one ruining my view. Bugger off and make sure you don't get into too much sunlight: you might shrivel up or something.'  
  
'Grow up a bit, Potter.'  
  
'You know, you sound just like Lily Evans.' Snape grimaced. 'Actually, before I turn to stone from looking at you for too long: where's Sirius?'  
  
'I also don't see how that concerns you.'  
  
'Because he's my friend, you stupid twit! Now where is he?'  
  
'Common room. He has better things to do than spend time with you.' With that, Snape turned and stalked off.  
  
James didn't bother to call after him and ask what the hell he meant: after all, it spoiled the scenery. Sirius was probably just hiding in his dormitory or something, as to avoid things like *that*. Despite his conviction, James couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that he was being avoided.  
  
He got to his feet, and headed quickly to his dorm, to get his cloak. The Slytherin Common Room had been the most difficult to find. The other three were all marked out by something, but the entrance to the Slytherin one was just a blank wall. Added to the fact that the password was changed more regularly: James had the feeling that they were all paranoid.  
  
He waited around outside the Common Room, until a Slytherin came along. When he'd first got the cloak it had proved exceptionally difficult to sneak in and out of doors at the same time as other people, but it was an ability that improved with practice. He managed to enter the Common Room unnoticed.  
  
Sirius' dormitory was harder to find, but he got the right one in the end. His friend was lying on his bed.  
  
'Psst! Sirius!' hissed James. There was no one else in there, but no point in taking chances. Sirius jumped, and glanced over to where he heard the noise. James sat down on Sirius' bed and poked him. Sirius drew the curtains and muttered a couple of spells.  
  
'What are you doing here?' he demanded, pulling the cloak off James.  
  
'I came to see what you were up to. Do you want to go piss off some firsties?'  
  
'I can't, I'm busy,' replied Sirius, automatically, before looking around as though expecting to find something that proved he was busy.  
  
'Liar.'  
  
'Look, James, I. dunno if it's a good idea. Us being friends, I mean.' James blinked.  
  
'Why?'  
  
'Because er. OK, fine, I'll just tell you the truth. The others threatened to use Truth Potions, and worse, on you, Remus and Peter, if I kept spending time with you.'  
  
'So you're cowarding out?'  
  
'I talked to Andromeda, my cousin, a few days ago. She was in Ravenclaw, so she does know what it's like to be different, and she said it would probably be best if, for a while, we avoided each other. At least until stuff has died down.'  
  
The advice was, James supposed, reasonable, but he just couldn't see it working in the long run.  
  
'Are you going to back down forever?' he asked, suddenly. A sudden flash of anger appeared in Sirius' eyes, but his voice was also quiet when he spoke.  
  
'What other choice do I have? I'm doing my best to protect you from whatever crap my family could do to you. Where is there to run, James? Where? Give me a place where both you and I, and Remus and Peter, can be safe and I'll gladly go there. If I leave home I'll still have to face them at Hogwarts. And it'll only be worse. What can I do except pretend to be a good boy?'  
  
'You'd give up your friends?'  
  
'If it keeps you safe from them,' Sirius' voice was determined. 'James, you're a skilled enough dueller, and Remus and Peter aren't too bad, but there's just so much you don't know. You could win an outright fight with Snape any day, despite the curses he'd use, but it's not going to happen. They're going to go for the most underhand, unexpected way possible. You can't even hope to be prepared.'  
  
'You give them so much credit.'  
  
'Never underestimate people, it'll get you killed.'  
  
'You're so odd. Half the time you act like you're five, and then suddenly you're all serious.' Sirius gave a wry grin.  
  
'I'm sure if you averaged it out you'd get about fourteen,' he said. 'Now come on, I'm all ears, what do you suggest I do?'  
  
'Don't underestimate the four of us. It'll lose you friends,' said James, a slight smile on his face. 'How many other fourteen year olds do you know who are half way to becoming you-know-what? We'd never have thought of it without you, and you'd never have the motivation without us helping you work.'  
  
'Is this going to turn into one of those revolting speeches that say something along the lines of how brilliant teamwork is?'  
  
'If you're not careful, then yes. Now come on, let's go find Remus and Peter and get another couple of brain cells to help us. I am certainly not prepared to let Severus Snape and his ugly little minions beat me at anything.' Sirius sighed, resigned, but he was glad, really: James could talk anyone round successfully. 


End file.
